Who We Are

Who We Are

YESAB is an independent body established under Chapter 12 of the Umbrella Final Agreement and governed by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act.

Mandate and Legislation

YESAB’s mandate is set out in the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA) and rooted in the Umbrella Final Agreement.

The Umbrella Final Agreement created YESAB to ensure that environmental and socio-economic effects of development are assessed in a manner that respects treaty rights and supports sustainable development in the Yukon.

YESAB operates at arm’s length from governments and is not part of any regulatory authority.

Read the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act

Board and Governance

YESAB is overseen by a Board whose members are appointed by:

  • The Government of Canada
  • The Government of Yukon
  • The Council of Yukon First Nations

This shared appointment structure reinforces YESAB’s independence and modern land claims foundation. The Board provides strategic oversight and ensures assessments are conducted fairly, consistently, and in accordance with legislation.

Meet Our Board

Stephen Rose, Chair of the Board

Stephen Rose is a seasoned governance and strategic planning professional dedicated to fostering responsible development while safeguarding environmental and socio-economic interests. Stephen’s extensive background encompasses various facets of the corporate and public sector including financial operations, policy development, communications, Information Technology, and human resources. During his career, Stephen has been instrumental in fostering collaborative relationships between industry stakeholders, governmental bodies, non-governmental, and First Nations organizations. He served the Government of Yukon in various roles including Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Planning and Economic Policy, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations at Department of Economic Development, until his retirement in December 2018.

Stephen, as the Chair of the Board for YESAB, aims to prioritize engagement with Board members, staff, stakeholders, and the community at large when assessing environmental and socio-economic impacts of crucial projects. With a commitment to the community’s well-being and honoring the perspectives of First Nations, Stephen will take a collaborative approach that ensures thorough assessments and sustainable decisions.

Denny Kobayashi, Executive Committee Member/Board Member

Denny has lived in the Yukon for more than 44 years living in the communities of Whitehorse and Dawson City. He is married and the proud father of three daughters who were all born and raised in the Yukon. Denny’s professional career includes 20 years in the retail food industry, 14 years in the NGO sector, 15 years in the public sector, 5 years in an executive role with Northern Vision Development LP, served as the Executive Director of the Yukon Chamber of Commerce, and most recently as the Executive Director of the Yukon Contractors Association.

Denny is excited to serve on the Executive Committee of the YESAB bringing experience and perspectives from the private, public and NGO sectors to the Board. Denny has served on several Yukon, national, and international committees and boards. He was one of the original members of the Yukon Council on the Economy and the Environment in 1984-85 and most recently served as the Chair of the Yukon Tourism Advisory Board.

Denny holds a Master of Arts degree in Tourism Management, graduate diplomas in Sustainable Development and Destination Development, an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, and a maintains a professional designation as a Certified Association Executive (CAE).

Dennis Nicloux, Executive Committee Member/Board Member

Dennis Nicloux is a citizen of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun. He was born and raised in Mayo, Yukon and has spent most of his life living and working in the community. Dennis has over 10 years of combined experience working in the energy and mining sectors; 9 years of experience serving his First Nation as an elected Council member on the First Nations governing Council; and, over 5 years of public administration experience in Yukon First Nation governments managing housing, lands and resource portfolios. In his elected and management roles at the First Nation of Na-cho Nyak Dun, Dennis participated in various intergovernmental forums and committees, contributed to numerous planning and negotiation processes, and several significant intergovernmental agreements. In addition to his government and private sector experience, Dennis has spent most of his life on the land, hunting, fishing and trapping and participating in traditional cultural activities. Dennis has been actively trapping in the Mayo region for most of his life.

Roberta Joseph, Board Member

Roberta Joseph is a lifelong Yukoner and member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation in Dawson City, Yukon. From 2014-2023, Miss Joseph served as the Chief of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government. In conjunction with these terms, Miss Joseph had previously served two terms on the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) Council, as an elected Councillor from 2005-2010. While being a public servant, she was responsible for holding various department portfolios through each term, including Deputy Chief, Implementation, Education, Health and Social, Human Resources and Employment and Training, Economic Development, Natural Resources, and Finance and Capital.

In conjunction with her former position as chief, Miss Joseph dedicated nearly 34 years working for First Nations; several with Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government, in the Department of Natural Resources as the TH Fish and Wildlife Manager/Coordinator, additionally, she worked for the Council of Yukon First Nations as the Director of Finance and Administration including a variety of occupations therein. Through these opportunities, Miss Joseph was inspired, influenced and mentored by past Yukon First Nation Elders and leaders who instilled in her the important mandates and objectives of the land claims; to work diligently to assist with the implementation of modern treaties and self-government agreements, and contribute to the protection of First Nation’s rights, interests, culture and heritage values. As well, Miss Joseph had committed numerous years to various Boards and Committees such as Porcupine Caribou Management Board, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Trust, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Justice Administration Committee, YFN Chief’s Committee on Education and Moosehide Gathering Committee. While in the position as chief, she served on the Yukon First Nations Chief’s Committee on Mining, National Assembly of First Nation’s, Chief’s Committee on the Environment and Climate Change, and the Yukon Assembly of First Nations, Executive Chief’s Committee.

She is a strong supporter of her Nation’s cultural aspirations, is a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Hän Singers and actively participates or volunteers at many community culture initiatives throughout Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in traditional territory. The experience she endured over the years includes corporate knowledge, experience in making strategic decisions; financial management, economic development and a great understanding of First Nations and Indigenous groups, their community values and priorities.

Dianna Mueller, Board Member

Dianna Mueller is a Tlingit woman of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, from the Kookhittaan Clan, of the Crow Moiety.

Born and raised in the Yukon, her mother was Marion Huebschwerlen and grandmother was Margret Breton (Carvill).

She worked at the Federal public service commission for 3 years prior to working at the Yukon Water Board for 12 Years in Administration, as a Licensing Officer and Manager, where they used to complete assessments under the federal government environmental assessment (ERPGO) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), prior to the implementation of YESSA.

Upon devolution in 2003, Dianna moved to the government of Yukon. where she worked at the Yukon Placer Secretariat (YPS) of the department of Energy, Mines and Resources as the Adaptive Management Coordinator and Manager for 10 Years. In 2009 YPS was amalgamated within Energy, Mines and Resources, Compliance Monitoring & Inspections where she worked as the Assessment & Regulatory Compliance Officer for 5 years, after which she retired with 30 years of service.

In these positions, Dianna worked with different organizations in the mining Industry, First Nations, NGOs, UFA Boards and other governments to complete water shed authorizations.

On the personal side, she and her husband started, owned, and operated Sigedi Gifts and Things, a gift and souvenir shop in the Horwoods Mall from 2002 to 2013.

Dianna has raised two wonderful children. She is an outdoorsy person enjoying berry picking, fishing, hunting and the occasional trip to the family trapline. Her family has also been fortunate enough to do a fair amount of travelling to some beautiful, warm, and sunny destinations.

Tim Smith, Board Member

Tim is an experienced environmental professional with a background in environmental policy research and development, natural resources management, and public administration. Much of his career has been spent working in policy environments related to impact assessment, including project-based, strategic, and regional approaches to assessment.

Tim served as the Executive Director of YESAB for over eight years prior to his retirement in 2022. He also worked as a regulator and Chief of Mining Land Use with the Yukon government and as a senior policy advisor with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (now the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada), Environment Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of the Environment.

Tim is interested in the continuing evolution and development of the assessment framework in the Yukon, ensuring that it effectively meets the full spirit and intent of First Nation Final Agreements and YESAA in a manner that enables responsible development and balanced growth.

Lawrence Joe, Board Member

Chris Milner, Board Member

Meet Our Executive Director

Kent Bretzlaff, Executive Director

Kent Bretzlaff grew up near the banks of the Kitche Zibi (Ottawa River) on the un-ceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, born to parents of settler origin. After completing a Diploma in Culinary Arts from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Guelph, he moved to Yellowknife in 2014. As a consultant with Golder, Kent specialized in Surface Water Engineering and Contaminated Site Remediation across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In 2017, he relocated to Whitehorse. Since then, he has lived on the traditional territories of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and has worked as a Contaminated Sites Analyst for the Government of Yukon and a Technical Advisor for the Yukon Water Board. In 2022, he completed a joint master’s degree in Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas through The Arctic University of Norway and the University of Saskatchewan. His thesis, completed in partnership with the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, supported treaty negotiations and the development of a land and water governance model rooted in Carcross/Tagish First Nation members’ worldviews, knowledge, and practices.

Publications and authored work:

Designated Offices

YESAB carries out assessments through Designated Offices located across the Yukon.

These regional offices are reflective of YESAB’s decentralized model and ensure assessments are informed by local context and knowledge while providing opportunity across the Yukon to connect with YESAB staff.

Regional presence is a key part of delivering fair and effective assessments in a geographically and culturally diverse territory.